Description

Gorgeous chirimen silk fabric reclaimed from an antique furisode kimono. These pieces are in antique used excellent condition with just minor traces where the seams were pulled apart, ans very slight ageing. It is about 1950’s in age.

The pieces measure as follows:

2 pieces @ 196 cm x 36 cm

2 pieces @ 344 cm x 36 cm, with a slit at the halfway mark (172 cm) about 10 cm log where the neck would have been

1 piece @ 154 cm x 18 cm

This is a havy, supple and elaborate silk, with not only a woven water design, but printed flowers and gold trim, as well as embroidered metallic cord embellishments.

Please note the photo pf the entire kimono is for reference only.

• Chirimen Silk: Chirimen fabric is a thick, heavy silk crepe, a crinkled fabric made by the weft threads being kept tighter than the warp threads during the weaving process. Weft threads are twisted as they are woven, resulting in a uneven texture.

This weaving technique was developed in Japan over 500 years ago. Threads may be dyed before weaving, or the fabric can be dyed using various techniques after weaving.

Chirimen fabric drapes beautifully, and it is difficult to crease. Therefore it is very popular for making kimonos.

In addition to a wide variety of kimono, many accessories are made using silk chirimen.

small bags

dolls

ornaments

furoshiki (wrapping cloths)

fabric kanzashi (hair ornaments)

obiage (scarf like cloths worn under the obi)

Recently chirimen-style fabrics have been made with cotton, rayon and polyester as they are less expensive and than silk to produce. However, silk chirimen is still the most popular chirimen for kimono fabric.

Depending on the colours and style, chirimen kimonos may be worn for both informal and formal occasions.

• Furisode: Furisode kimonos are worn by unmarried women. Furisode means swinging sleeve. It is pronounced foo-ri-sody, with no stress on any of the syllables. In this description I use the term ‘long’, meaning from shoulder to base of sleeve and not from shoulder to wrist. Women’s furisode come in three types, each with progressively longer sleeves; the longer the sleeve, the more formal it is. Type 1 – Ko-Furisode: the shortest sleeved furisode, with sleeves that are around 85cm in length. “Ko” means small/short but the sleeves of ko-furisode are still very long, much moreso than standard, non-furisode (kosode) kimonos, they are just less long than the other two furisode types. One might wear a ko furisode, for example, with hakama for a graduation ceremony. Type 2 – Chu-Furisode: a furisode with sleeves that are around 100cm in length. “chu” means “medium”. Type 3 – Oh-Furisode: “oh” means big, therefore oh-furisode means big, swinging sleeves, with the longest sleeves of all the furisode type kimonos. Oh-furisode have sleeves of 114 – 115cm. It is the unmarried woman’s most formal kimono, for wear at formal, special occasions and very colourful versions of oh-furisode are worn by brides and known as kakeshita or hon-furisode. Those are women’s furisode kimonos but there is also the Jyusan-Mairi, a girl’s first furisode, which she gets at the age of thirteen